The Letter
by twin15
Summary: After Geostigma Tifa has something that she wants to give to Cloud. What is it and how will Cloud react? And what does Aeris have to do with it? Cloith onesided Cloti


Disclamer: I don't own anything

This is just a short story I came up with. There isn't really any action. It just revolves around a letter Tifa gives to cloud and the reaction between the two. ANother dimension to the Love triangle.

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Tifa was in her room at her desk glaring at the letter in front of her. Cloud's name written on it in dull black ink. Maybe this was the wrong thing to do. What would happen once he read it? What if this ruined everything between them? Was it worth the risk if everything that had been going so good shattered right before them and they were left in tatters? Could they still be friends if things did not go well?

Tifa shook her head. She had to do it. It was eating up at her inside and she just couldn't do it anymore. It was too much. She had to tell him the truth. She had to give him this letter.

She grabbed the letter and stalked out of the room and to the kitchen grabbing the phone. She dialed and waited.

"Hello?"

"Cloud? It's me."

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"No… I need to see you. Right away. It's important. Where are you?" She asked gripping the phone cord. Confession was so harsh.

"Ah… I'll just be over."

"No!" She said a little too loudly, "No. This is private. I need to see you alone."

"The church?" He asked.

Tifa frown feeling as if the wind had just been knocked out of her. _How ironic_. She thought.

"Fine. Meet you there in a couple minutes." She hung up the phone. She sighed. There was no going back now.

All the way there she ran over everything in her head. Wondering what would happen.

Cloud was already there of course. He stood starring at the small uneven patch of flowers. _Her_ flowers. Tifa thought.

"Cloud?"

Cloud looked up at her snapping out of his daze. He had that look in his face. The look he got when he thought about _her_. _Why was it always her? Couldn't he think of **me**? _She thought sourly. She pushed away the thoughts. She had gotten past that hadn't she? She was just someone in his life he would always cherish no matter if she was dead or not.

"This is for you." She said bluntly handing him the envelope.

He took it and examined. Hastily he scanned it confused, and then examined it slower. Tifa imagined what he was reading. Knew what he was reading. Memories floated back to her as she remembered the words written on the page. She remembered when she first read the words…

"What…?" Cloud said looking up in disbelief. Tifa sighed. Of course he was wondering why this was coming up so sudden.

Flashback

_She had woken up early feeling uneasy. She was walked out of her room and noticed Aeris's bedroom door open._

"_Aeris?" She called pushing the door open. The room was completely silent and empty… or not completely so. On the bed lay an envelope. Cloud's name written in fresh ink on it. She grabbed it and started to rip the seal… No! What was she doing? It clearly said Cloud on it. It wasn't meant for her. She heard footsteps and she pushed the envelope in her pocket._

"_Aeris is missing." Barret said matter-of-factly._

"_I noticed."  
"Go get Cloud."_

"_He doesn't know…?" She questioned. He left her standing there with her thoughts. _

_They searched everywhere and had finally found her at the city of the Ancients. She was praying for Holy. Sephiroth, there enemy, was there and killed her. Everyone had been heartbroken. But Cloud had been hit the worse blaming himself for bringing her along. Blaming himself for almost killing her when Sephiroth had tried using him to kill Aeris. Blaming himself for things he couldn't change. So she had taken the letter and hid it. They had a mission to accomplish. She didn't know what the letter said, she didn't want to know. But Cloud needed to be focused. He had to move on. Something like a letter he would cling to too much. And although she hated to admit it… she had been selfish and kept it away because she was jealous. Of all the people to write to before she died, Aeris had chosen Cloud. _

_They had defeated Sephiroth and life moved on. She had reopened 7th heaven and they were busy with Geostigma. The letter staid buried in her room, and forgotten by her heart. Cloud had not improved with Sephiroth's defeat. He was haunted by the past and confided in no one. She knew that he had missed Aerith and was found many times at her church, off in his own world. A miracle had brought him to fight for the children for strength to defeat Geostigma. The crisis had ended. Rain sent by Aerith healed the Geostigma and life began again. Cloud was happier. He was not burdened as much and spent many evenings with those of the former AVALANCHE and the children. And not to long ago she had found the letter. Old, a bit tattered and stained. She had stared at it in confusion. Cloud had moved on... right? So what would this letter do but dig up old memories that needed to be buried. She had careful peeled the seal…_

_Cloud-_

_When you read this I don't know. Perhaps you will read this before you know what has/will/had happened… or perhaps you have waited until afterwards. Do not be scared Cloud. Be strong. I am fine. I have gone to fulfill my destiny. I will pray for Holy. And I will help save you, Avalanche, and this Planet. I had to do this alone. I am the only one. You have given me the courage to fulfill this destiny… my destiny. And I know that you will fulfill yours._

_Cloud do not be sad. Things will happen. Things nothing, or anyone, will be able to change. Do not be so harsh on yourself! I do not and will never blame you for anything. Remember when this is all over I will come to you. Remember? I promise. So be strong.  
I can see you reading this… Perhaps you are sitting on my bed frantically skimming the lines, or maybe you are somewhere else... **Slow down**. Go back to the beginning and read. When you do I want you to relax and smile. Smile for me, Cloud… please. I don't want you to be sad or regretful or upset. I don't want you to blame yourself. I want you to smile and be happy. _

_I will do all that I can to help you. I do not know exactly what lies before me… before us… But I will be with you every step of the way. When all seems lost, think of me and I will be there. I will help you. Trust me. Can you trust me Cloud? _

_Oh Cloud! How I wish there could be some other way! But this is destiny and destiny it will be. I am sorry… of all the things I've said… it seems I have started to cry. I suppose I am sad… But Cloud you know what? I don't think I'll be sad for long. All I have to do is think of you. I remember when I first met you. I remember the look on your face as you're crashed through my church onto my flower bed. I remember the one time I heard you laugh. Thinking of you is truly heaven. Do not blame yourself. I would not change a thing. I wouldn't change those moments with you for anything. You hear me Cloud? Nothing is worth more than those moments with you. I love you Cloud. I love you with all my heart. I do not know if you will feel the same or not. But I love you. More than you can never know. Look to your heart, Cloud. I will be there with you always. Be happy and be strong Cloud. _

_I love you with all my heart, my soul,_

_Aeris_

_After Tifa had read the letter she had burst into tears. And in that moment she knew she had to give it to Cloud. No matter what she had to do. Now she had given it to him and he had read it all. _Tears lined her eyes now as she looked at Cloud. His own eyes misty with tears.

"How… How did… you get this?" he asked.

"I found it… I…" she said chocking on tears now, "When Aeris had gone missing she had left this in her room. I found it. But after she… died… and we had to fight Sephiroth I just thought…"

"That I wouldn't want to see this?" He questioned.

"NO! I didn't actually read the letter till the other day… I know it was wrong but I had to know that bringing up old memories didn't hurt you! I had no idea what was in the letter and I didn't want you to fall apart again like when Geostigma was going on."

"_Aeris _wrote it."

"I know…" She said bowing her head, "She was my best friend, like a sister. But she also loved you Cloud. I wouldn't deny that I wasn't jealous. I was! But more than anything I didn't want you to blame yourself again or feel bad for yourself. I care for you to!"

Cloud starred at the paper running it over in his hands, reading the words. _Her_ words. Words alone that broke through Cloud and touched his heart. _I will never be able to do that_. Tifa thought.

"I came wanting to right my wrong. I kept something that wasn't mine away from you. But now you have it. And now you know."  
"Know what?"

"She loved you." Tifa whispered backing away.

"Tifa?" He called as she reached the Church door.

"Hm?" She asked wiping away her tears.

"Thanks. This mean's the world to me."

She smiled, "I know."

"Tifa?"

"Hmm…?"

"I'll be here awhile. But I'll be around later… Tell Marlene."

"Ok." She said heading back. She knew he wasn't going profess that he could move on and that he loved her. She knew that. She knew he love Aeris in his heart and forever. She felt sad. But it was meant to be. They were meant to be. And walking away she could only be glad that they were still friends. After all it could have been worse. He could have turned his back on her forever. She smiled. As she head home a breeze floated by carrying leaves rustling by. She wasn't sure if she imagines it or if it was the leaves but she could have sworn she heard a beautiful feminine voice whisper to her "Thank you."

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(A/N I would love to hear comments/suggestions about this. And I hope this didn't sound to anti-Tifa. Obviously I like Cloris/Clorith pairing better but I have nothing against Tifa. I do hope you liked it. I'm not sure if Cloud is OOC but I think the leter really captures Aeris and I think how Tifa feels is pretty understandable. So... Please R&R!) 


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